Plans for
Balgownie Wood

The West Fife Woodlands group were shown around Balgownie Wood this week by Forestry Commission Scotland’s ranger, Colin Peacock.

It was also a chance for the group to try out their Kelly Kettle for the first time.

Many of its members visit the wood frequently. However all were surprised at some of the things they’d not noticed before, lurking deep in areas of Sitka spruce plantings. For example, there is evidence of oaks having been coppiced, with their stools still alive and in some cases reaching 2m in diameter.

There are also oaks with a distinct band on their trunks.

Colin reckons these are trees that have defied death when the Sitka was first planted.

The foresters of the day would have cut out a band of bark in order to kill the oaks, so that they did not compete with the commercial crop. However they are still surviving!

The FCS management plan is to progressively clear the Sitka to allow these oaks to regenerate.

Already you can see young oak seedlings starting to appear.

WFW is looking to build a bridge across Bluther Burn so that the wood is accessible from Blairhall.

West Fife Woodlands has a programme of walks which take place on the third Saturday of the month.

The next walk is on 21 June and will be a tour of Carnock Moor wood - meet at the car park on the B913, south of Cowstrandburn.

Why not join us?

John Le Marie, chair

Chance to visit
Kirklands House garden

Saline's Kirklands House is to be the venue for one of Scotland's Gardens Scheme open days on Sunday, 22nd June, between 2 and 5pm.

Kirklands, built in 1832, sits in two acres of gardens and 20 acres of woodland with attractive views toward the Ochils and into the adjacent Saline Glen.

In the gardens, visitors can inspect the ornamental gardens with their famous statues of Tam O' Shanter and Soutar Johnny, the walled vegetable garden, the rockery and the woodland garden with its resident pot bellied pigs, Smokey and Streaky.

Saline itself has many fine buildings and attractive walks in nearby Saline Glen.

Cream teas and plants will be on sale. Part of the gardens is accessible by wheelchairs while dogs on leads are welcome. Accompanied children will receive free admittance.

Parking at Kirklands is restricted to disabled badge holders while the adjacent Bridge Street is narrow and unsuitable for parking. Visitors are therefore asked to park at the area around the church on Main Street where stewards will give directions to the garden, an easy stroll. Saline Glen is also easily accessible from this parking area.

Admission is £3.50 with income to be shared between Scotland's Gardens Scheme and Saline Environment Group.

Kirklands House gardens can also be visited at other times by appointment. Call 01383 852737 to arrange.

Proposals for wind farm near Saline revealed

Proposals for a wind farm about 2km north-west of Saline have been revealed.

If planning permission is granted, construction work on the wind farm would start in around three years time and take between six and nine months to complete.

It would involve the building of seven, 120m high turbines, along with associated access tracks.